Dancing with the cells: How acoustically levitating a diamond enabled a redesign of biotech automation

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Acoustic Levitation
• Automation Engineering

Background:

• Traditional biotechnology automation faces challenges with precise sample manipulation.
• Existing methods can be limited by contact-based interactions, leading to contamination or damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of acoustic levitation for non-contact sample handling in biotech automation.
• To demonstrate how acoustically levitating a diamond can facilitate a redesign of automated laboratory processes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing acoustic levitation to suspend and manipulate small diamond particles.
• Integrating the acoustically levitated diamond into a custom-designed automation platform.
• Developing control algorithms for precise positioning of the levitating diamond.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated stable acoustic levitation of diamond particles.
• Showcased the ability of the levitating diamond to precisely transfer and manipulate micro-samples without contact.
• Validated the integration into an automated workflow, improving handling efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Acoustic levitation of diamond presents a viable non-contact method for advancing biotech automation.
• This approach has the potential to enhance precision, reduce contamination, and enable new automation strategies in life sciences.